Adjustable pressure responsive transducer

ABSTRACT

A pressure responsive transducer having means for adjusting the effective back-up of a diaphragm to provide infinite adjustability in the output signal produced by movement or force of the diaphragm in response to pressure directed thereagainst.

United States Patent 15] 3,676,620 Modes 14 1 July 11, 1972 [s41 ADJUSTABLE PRESSURE RESPONSIVE 2,722,580 11/1955 Hasselhom et a1. ..200/83 s TRANSDUCER 3,367,244 2/1968 2,635,546 4/1953 Inventor: Edward Modes, I417 Shawnee Trial, 2,339,847 1/1944 151115011 ..zoo/ssaux Deerfield, 111. 60015 22 1 Fnedz Nov. 1970 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 712,908 10 1931 F 211 App1.No.: 90,740 I ram 2 Primary Examiner-Robert K. Schaefer Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Vanderh e 52 us. Y :51; 1111.8 110111 35 3 11313 452: wean Mccmd [58] Field olSearch ..200/83 R, 831,83 K, 83 B,

- 200/83 S; 92/13.2, 13.1, 13.3 [57] ABSTRACT A pressure responsive transducer having means for adjusting [56] m- Cited the efiective back-up of a diaphragm to provide infinite udjustability in the output signal produced by movement or force UNITED STATES PATENTS of the diaphragm in response to pressure directed thereagainst. 3,591,741 7/1971 Tuthill ..200/83 S 3,584,168 6/1971 Halpert et a1. ..200/83 8 15 Clalrm, 4 lh'awlng figures II I I 6 I I I 17 1'1 22 A 1'? h-e- 1i LJ I ADJUSTABLE PRESSURE RESPONSIVE TRANSDUCER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to fluid pressure devices and in particular to a pressure responsive transducer having infinite adjustability.

2. Description of the Prior Art In one form of pressure responsive device, a diaphragm is extended across an opening to a pressure chamber. The movement of the diaphragm as the result of pressure conditions within the chamber provides an output which may be used to actuate control devices such as switches and the like for providing a desired pressure responsive control. In one known fonn of such pressure responsive device, a plurality of different back-up members is provided to afl'ord differences in the effective area of the diaphragm. Such back-up devices may be threadedly secured to the chamber means to provide the desired selective adjustability. In another fonn of pressure responsive device, a back-up ring is provided for selectively engaging the diaphragm to reduce the effective area thereof and alternatively to be spaced from the diaphragm to provide the maximum effective area.

The known pressure responsive devices of this type have the serious disadvantage of limited adjustability and relatively high complexity and cost adversely limiting their usefulness and acceptability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprehends an improved adjustable pressure responsive transducer wherein means are provided for infinitely adjustably controlling the effect of the fluid pressure on the diaphragm of the device for producing an infinitely adjustable output.

More specifically, the invention comprehends such a pressure responsive transducer wherein the means for controlling the effect of the pressure fluid on the diaphragm includes intermeshed finger means backing up the diaphragm and means for adjusting one finger means relative to the other finger means to vary the amount of back-up support of the diaphragm.

The movable finger means may be provided with an adjustably extensible connector. Spring means may be provided for biasing the movable finger means against the outward urging of the diaphragm thereby to provide a nonlinear output relative to the pressure acting on the diaphragm, as desired.

The finger means may be suitably shaped to provide a desired functional relationship between the output and the pressure acting on the diaphragm. The finger means may be arcuate and more specifically, may be segmentally spherical, segmentally parabolic, segmentally hyperbolic, segmentally elliptical, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a pressure responsive transducer embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section thereof taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a reduced side elevation illustrating one form of output connector means; and

FIG. 4 is a reduced side elevation illustrating another form of output connector means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawing, a pressure responsive transducer generally designated is shown to comprise a housing element 11 defining a pressure chamber 12 having an outer opening 13. A flexible diaphragm 14 is sealingly secured to housing 11 by a clamp ring 15 and suitable securing means such as screws 16. The diaphragm defines a mid-portion 17 extending adjustably across opening 13 to be deflected or produce a force outwardly by fluid pressure in chamber 12 such as delivered thereto by an inlet element 18.

Outward movement or force of the diaphragm produces an output signal by means of a longitudinal movement of or force transmitted through an output element 19 which illustratively may be arranged to actuate a conventional switch 20. As will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the output device 20 may comprise any form of control element illustratively including electrical, mechanical, fluidic, etc. switches, or other control elements such as displacement indicating coils, meters, etc.

Movement of output element 19, or force application therethrough by diaphragm 14 is effected by means of a threaded connector 21 securing mid-portion 17 of the diaphragm and a movable back-up element 22 to the element 19. Ring 15 may be provided with an integral fixed back-up element 23 which cooperates with movable back-up element 22 to provide adjustability of the back-up of the diaphragm. In the present invention, the cooperating back-up elements provide an infinite adjustability in the back-up of the diaphragm portion 17 between maximum and minimum conditions by virtue of the selective axial positioning of element 19 relative to housing 11 thereby to provide infinite adjustability in the control of output element 19.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, ring 15 includes a domed mid-portion 24 defining a star shaped opening 25 whereby mid-portion 24 is provided with a plurality of radially inwardly projecting fingers 26. Movable back-up element 22 comprises a star shaped element having fingers 27 complementary to the star shaped opening 25 permitting movement of the element 22 axially through opening 25 as a function of the displacement of diaphragm portion 17 in response to pressure conditions within the chamber 12 a shown in FIG. 4 or in response to adjustment of an adjustable connector 28 as shown in FIG. 3.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the efiect of pressure within chamber 12 acting on diaphragm portion 17 may be varied by adjustably moving element 19 thereby adjustably varying the area of diaphragm portion 17 engaging the underside of fingers 26. Thus, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, at an extreme inward disposition of back-up element 22, only the outermost periphery of diaphragm portion 17 engages the fixed back-up element 23 and, thus, a maximum area of the diaphragm is exposed to pressure within chamber 12 for selectively moving or forcing output element 19 in response to the pressure condi tions. Reversely, by adjusting element 19 to dispose back-up element 22 at the extreme position outwardly, or to the right, relative to the chamber 12, a maximum area of the diaphragm portion 17 is disposed in engagement with the underside of fixed back-up element 23 whereby only a small area of the diaphragm portion 17 is subject to the pressure conditions within chamber 12.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the back-up element 23 may be segmentally spherical and the back-up element 22 may be reversely segmentally spherical. As will be obvious to those skilled in the art, other shapes of the back-up elements may be employed to provide difierent selected characteristics in the relationship between the movement of output 19 and the effective area of the diaphragm. Illustratively, the back-up elements may alternatively be segmentally parabolic, segmentally hyperbolic, segmentally elliptical, etc. The fixed back-up element may be a difierent shape from the movable back-up element as desired.

As shown in FIG. 3, the adjustability of the spacing between the movable back-up element 22 and the output switch 20 may be effected by providing threaded connector means generally designated 28. Connector 28 comprises a threaded end 29 of element 19 received in threaded recess 30 in an actuator element 31. As shown in FIG. 3, switch 20 may be carried on a support plate 32 spaced from housing element 11 by suitable support rods 33 to be actuated by element 31.

Turning now to FIG. 4, a modified form of pressure responsive transducer generally designated 1 is shown to comprise a transducer generally similar to transducer 10 but having a collar 134 fixed to element 119. Element 119 extends through an opening 135 and collar 134 defines means for biasing element 119 and movable back-up element 122 inwardly, or to the left, as seen in FIG. 4. The result is a nonlinear relationship between pressure applied to inlet element 118 and the deflection of output element 119. Elements of transducer 110 similar to those of transducer 10 are identified by similar reference numerals but 100 higher. Transducer 110 functions similarly to transducer 10 except as noted above.

Thus, each of transducer 10 and 110 provides an improved means for controlling the effect of the fluid pressure in the pressure chamber on the diaphragm producing a desired output. In each case, means are provided for producing an infinitely adjustable amount of rigid back-up of the diaphragm to vary correspondingly infinitely the effective area of the diaphragm thereby to produce an infinitely adjustable output. Theinvention comprehends utilization of intermeshed finger means in a novel arrangement to effect such infinite adjustability quickly and efficiently. The disclosed structure is extremely simple and economical of construction while yet providing the highly desirable adjustability feature.

The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is illustrative of the broad inventive concepts comprehended by the invention.

I claim:

1. In a pressure responsive transducer having means defining a pressure chamber having an opening, a flexible diaphragm sealed to said pressure chamber means to extend across said opening, and means responsive to movement of said diaphragm for providing an output functionally related to fluid pressure in said chamber, means for controlling the effect of said fluid pressure on said diaphragm producing said output, comprising: a fixed wall and a juxtaposed movable wall confronting said diaphragm; and means for adjusting the disposition of the movable wall for providing an infinitely adjustable amount of rigid back-up of the diaphragm to vary correspondingly infinitely the effective area of the diaphragm responsive to said pressure for producing an infinitely adjustable output.

2. In a pressure responsive transducer having means defining a pressure chamber having an opening, a flexible diaphragm sealed to said pressure chamber means to extend across said opening, and means responsive to movement of said diaphragm for providing an output functionally related to fluid pressure in said chamber, means for controlling the effect of said fluid pressure on said diaphragm producing said output, comprising: means for providing an infinitely adjustable amount of rigid back-up of the diaphragm to vary correspondingly infinitely the effective area of the diaphragm responsive to said pressure for producing an infinitely adjustable output, defined by intenneshed finger means backing up said diaphragm and means for adjusting one finger means relative to the other finger means to vary the amount of back-up support of the diaphragm by said other finger means, and means for connecting said one finger means to said means for providing an output.

- 3. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said one finger means is arcuate.

4. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said one finger means is segmentally spherical.

5. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said one finger means comprises a segmentally spherical element having a star shaped opening aligned with said pressure chamber opening and defining a plurality of inwardly projecting fingers, said other finger means being movable in said star shaped opening to adjust the amount of back-up provided by said inwardly projecting fingers as said diaphragm is deflected outwardly by fluid pressure in said chamber.

6. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said other finger means is arcuate.

The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said one finger means comprises a segmentally spherical element having a star shaped opening aligned with said pressure chamber opening and defining a plurality of inwardly projecting fingers, said other finger means being segmentally spherical and having a star shape complementary to said one finger means star shaped opening, said other finger means being axially movable in said one finger means opening.

8. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 7 wherein said other finger means is curved reversely to said one finger means in said one finger means opening.

9. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said output means comprises male and female threaded means providing an adjustable extensible connection mounted to said other finger means.

10. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 further including spring means biasing said other finger means against an outward urging thereof by the diaphragm.

11. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein at least one of said finger means is parabolic.

12. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein at least one of said finger means is hyperbolic.

13. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein at least one of said finger means is elliptical.

14. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 further including yieldable means supporting said other finger means for providing an output nonlinearly related to the pressure in said chamber.

15. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said output means includes a switch operable as a function of the displacement of said other finger means by said diaphragm. 

1. In a pressure responsive transducer having means defining a pressure chamber having an opening, a flexible diaphragm sealed to said pressure chamber means to extend across said opening, and means responsive to movement of said diaphragm for providing an output functionally related to fluid pressure in said chamber, means for controlling the effect of said fluid pressure on said diaphragm producing said output, comprising: a fixed wall and a juxtaposed movable wall confronting said diaphragm; and means for adjusting the disposition of the movable wall for providing an infinitely adjustable amount of rigid back-up of the diaphragm to vary correspondingly infinitely the effective area of the diaphragm responsive to said pressure for producing an infinitely adjustable output.
 2. In a pressure responsive transducer having means defining a pressure chamber having an opening, a flexible diaphragm sealed to said pressure chamber means to extend across said opening, and means responsive to movement of said diaphragm for providing an output functionally related to fluid pressure in said chamber, means for controlling the effect of said fluid pressure on said diaphragm producing said output, comprising: means for providing an infinitely adjustable amount of rigid back-up of the diaphragm to vary correspondingly infinitely the effective area of the diaphragm responsive to said pressure for producing an infinitely adjustable output, defined by intermeshed finger means backing up said diaphragm and means for adjusting one finger means relative to the other finger means to vary the amount of back-up support of the diaphragm by said other finger means, and means for connecting said one finger means to said means for providing an output.
 3. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said one finger means is arcuate.
 4. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said one finger means is segmentally spherical.
 5. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said one finger means comprises a segmentally spherical element having a star shaped opening aligned with said pressure chamber opening and defining a plurality of inwardly projecting fingers, said other finger means being movable in said star shaped opening to adjust the amount of back-up provided by said inwardly projecting fingers as said diaphragm is deflected outwardly by fluid pressure in said chamber.
 6. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said other finger means is arcuate.
 7. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said one finger means comprises a segmentally spherical element having a star shaped opening aligned with said pressure chamber opening and defining a plurality of inwardly projecting fingers, said other finger means being segmentally spherical and having a star shape complementary to said one finger means star shaped opening, said other finger means being axially movable in said one finger means opening.
 8. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 7 wherein said other finger means is curved reversely to said one finger means in said one finger means opening.
 9. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said output means comprises male and female threaded means providing an adjustable extensible connection mounted to said other finger means.
 10. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 further including spring means biasing said other finger means against an outward urging thereof by the diaphragm.
 11. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein at least one of said finger means is parabolic.
 12. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein at least one of said finger means is hyperbolic.
 13. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein at least one of said finger means is elliptical.
 14. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 further including yieldable means supporting said other finger means for providing an output nonlinearly related to the pressure in said chamber.
 15. The pressure responsive transducer means of claim 2 wherein said output means includes a switch operable as a function of the displacement of said other finger means by said diaphragm. 